Tsukuba Science City

Tsukuba Science City, located about 60 km northeast of Tokyo, is segmented into the Research and Education District and the Suburban District. These two districts attract more than 300 public and private institutes, universities and firms, which also then attract about 13,000 researchers. Approximately 200,000 people including foreign researchers and their families, as well as students reside here.

Via the Tsukuba Express Line from Akihabara Station in Tokyo, Tsukuba Science City is about a one-hour trip from Central Tokyo. The Tsukuba Express Line opened in 2005 and improved transportation to the various international conferences and other events now held frequently in Tsukuba Science City.

Tsukuba Information Center is a facility for providing information located in Tsukuba Science City. Educational institutions and pioneering firms in the science and technology fields gather at this center. This center boasts multi-screen videos, a system for searching information on research laboratories, and models for providing information to visitors to Japan and elsewhere in the world. Additionally, the Tsukuba Science Tour Office organizes and offers tours of laboratories located in Tsukuba Science City and also provides tour guide services.

There are a variety of unique sightseeing spots in Tsukuba Science City. The Tsukuba Expo Center holds the world's largest planetarium, where visitors can experience the latest in technology and science, as well as the older standards of technology and science.

At the Science Museum of Map and Survey, a gigantic parabolic antenna is now the landmark of Tsukuba, and visitors can learn the methods of map projection. There are other sightseeing locations such as the Tsukuba Space Center, Science Square Tsukuba, and Tsukuba Botanical Garden explaining botany from a more scientific point of view. At Matsumi and Doho-koen Parks, visitors enjoy greenery and walks in the fresh air.